Carson Strikes Back: Calls Politico Report He Lied About West Point Scholarship an ‘Outright Lie’

The Ben Carson campaign accused Politico of reporting an “outright” lie after it ran a story suggesting the GOP presidential candidate’s team admitted to “fabricating” details about being accepted to West Point in his book.

The Internet was buzzing Friday after Politico published the stunning story alleging Carson’s account of being accepted into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point outlined in his memoir “Gifted Hands” was not true — and even his own campaign was admitting it.

As the Washington Post’s Dave Weigel noted, there is more nuance to the story than the Politico report suggests.

The academy has occupied a central place in Carson’s tale for years. According to a story told in Carson’s book, “Gifted Hands,” the then-17 year old was introduced in 1969 to Gen. William Westmoreland, who had just ended his command of U.S. forces in Vietnam, and the two dined together. That meeting, according to Carson’s telling, was followed by a “full scholarship” to the military academy.

West Point, however, has no record of Carson applying, much less being extended admission.

“In 1969, those who would have completed the entire process would have received their acceptance letters from the Army Adjutant General,” said Theresa Brinkerhoff, a spokeswoman for the academy. She said West Point has no records that indicate Carson even began the application process. “If he chose to pursue (the application process), then we would have records indicating such,” she said.

When presented with these facts, Carson’s campaign conceded the story was false.

Politico’s headline was not subtle either.

The development comes as CNN continued to doggedly question other aspects about Carson’s youth — including stories about battling anger — chronicled in the book that became a TV movie.